Method and means for winding



Feb. 23 192s. 1,573,933

W. E. GUEST mamon AND MEANS Fon WINDING Filed Feb. 9, 1924 E u 3 J0 s Z5 Ig; I i I' l 13 Ja l'g 1| A .l {Ei- Y Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

TUNIIE TATES PATET OFFICE.

WARDE. GUEST, OI" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO WARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COROEATION OF ILLINOIS.

i METHOD AND MEANS FOR WINDING.

Application filed February 9, 1924.

Toch whom it may concern.'

' Be it known that I, NAi-in Il. GrUns'r, a

Vterial upon a cylinder or Vthe like.

Generally, such a' winding process is carried ont by hand or on a simple machine adapted for rotating the' member to which is :ted by hand thestrip ot material being `Wound. In more refined Winding processes,

'complicated machines are employed which producean eractness in the product which may be excessive tor the particular purpose for `which the article is employed. Such V.means include automatic feeding means timed to the location oi the member being Wound.l

*In my method I aim to dispense with such complicated and expensive means and to eniploy a simple device for ret-ating the member, and a simple method of feeding lthe `stri bein()- Wound with an accurac entirel consistent with the use of the article. 4

- Itis one object of my invention to provide af method for advancingpthe feeding oiI the material being Wound upon a rotating ineinber."

It is another object oic my invention to provide a method et and means for Winding helically a length ot material on a relatively soft surface of a rigid rotating member.

It Yis another object ot my invention to provide a simpleV independent feeding and guiding device for the material being heliy cally Wound, which'device is not a part ot the rotating machinery.

Od of Winding Which will produce littler Astrain or tension` on thel material being It is still another object of my invention to use a simple device to be manually held on a rotating member engaged thereby and Jfed along the axis ot rotation substantiallyl in timed relation thereto.

Still another object is to provide a meth- `Wound thereby eliminating' breakage, re-

pairs, hold-ups in production, Waste, and imperfect articles.

In the accompanyingl drawings there is shown by Way` ot' example a simple machine Serial No. 691,581.

'for rot-ating` the central core of an electrical heating element which is to be lielically Wound with a resistance -Wire.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a machine for producing rotation ot the meinber being wound.

Fig. 2 illustrates a cross section of the article being Wound showing the wire cmbedded therein.

Figs. 3 and l show a device which accomplishes the feeding and guiding action o'l the process.

Fig. 5 is a modified torin'of such a device.

In order to set forth my invention, I have chosen to illustrate its application to the Winding ot an electric heating element with a strand ot resistance wire. For this purpose there is Shown a machine rotating an elem-ent which is especially adapted for that purpose. The heating element 5 which I have chosen is provided with a rigid axial rod 6 Vhaving at one end a U-shaped hook 7, and at the other end, a bared axial terminal 8. 'lh'emachine 'for rotating the element may have any suitable form. That herein shown has a head or chuck 9 provided with a recess 10 adapted to receive the hook 7 in a manner to hold the rod in axial position. Any suitable driving means as a Wheel 1l may be employed and controlled as desired. The tail stock 12 of the machine is made adjustable for different lengths oli' elements, herein being shown a clamping bolt 13 through the slot 14 of the tail stock whereby it is secured to the base of the machine. The tail stock has a shaft 15 alined with the axis of the chuck 9. This shaft is axially loose in the tail stock and is provided with means for forcing it inwardly. A suitable head 16 is provided on the inner side of the shaft With an axial bore therein for the end 8 ot the rod 5. A coil spring 17 normally forces the head 16 toward the chuck end. This arrangement permits easy-insertion and removal oi' the rod 5 into the rotating device.

Ordinarily, to Wind a length of material onto such an element rotatably supported between the-centers as illustrated in the drawings, one end of the material is secured to the rotating element and the length guided, pulled and suitably advanced. According to my invention I provide a combined semiautomatic and semi-manual means 'for accomplishing this. By holding a sharp edge angularly against a rotating body, it will be made to advance along the same producing a spiral of a helical pitch according to the' angle of contact. My invention provides a body having one or more of these sharp edges for the purpose of advancing the body axially along the rotating member, and further provides on such body a guide fortlie material being wound. For this purpose in connection with the heating element 4illustrated I use ahalf-nut 18, the threads 19 of which Iare the cutting edges an gularly in contact with the rotating element. The use of the foregoing principle is, of course, dependent upon the surface of the rotating element being relatively softer than the cutting edge. The useV of the half-nut provides a semi-cylindrical groove 20 which facilitates holding the guide-on the rotating member and which further provides a plurality of cutting edges to bite into the member being wound.

Any suitable form of carrying-guide may be employedon the advancing body as the conditions may require. Herein where l show the winding of the fine wire 21 from the spool 22 secured on the base of the machine, I utilize the last thread 23 of the half-nut 1S as thevguide and may further provide a V-sliaped depression 2sty in the face 'i of vthe -nut to act as an additional guide. In the use of this half-nut for the heating element shown, certain otheradvanl. tageousfeatures of this process are exemplified. The wire rod 6 of the heating element is'covered by an Aasbestos tubular covering designated 25, the special property of which, for the winding process, is itsrelatively soft and yieldable character. In placing the nut on they member the asbestos is compressed so that the inner surface of the nut travels closer to the axial center than it would otherwise. Consequently the wire 21 is wound on the member in coils of a smaller diameter. There is no tension produced yon the wire during the winding process except that which is produced by the unrolling action from the spool 22. As the nut 'leaves the coils of the wire which have been wound, the

asbestos tends to assume its normal uncompressed character. rlhis causes it to expandv between the coils leaving the-latter embedded therein and held in spaced relation nii-V der slight tension produced by the expansion of the asbestos.

A further example (Fig. 5) of my invention in the same application is the provision of the guiding notch 26 more remote from the endof the nut, the threads 27 beyond the notch being smoothed oif so that the expandingy of the asbestos is grad-ual with a smooth action. This `prevents the expansion of the Y asbestos from drawing on 'the slack of the feeding wire and thereby 'loosening the coils. Any other location for the guide may ,be

use'dvdepending upon the character of the material being wound andthe character of the rotating member.

The above disclosure is not limited to the use of the means illustrated, bi'it may be utilized in a variety of forms according to the limitations of the appended claims.

Reference is hereby made to my copending application, Serial No. 691,580, filed February 9, 1.924, in which are disclosed certain features of construction' and` the speciiic method of inai'iufacturing a heating element o f the type disclosed in the present applica-l tion.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of winding fine wire on small elements having a relatively soft surface, comprising, rotating the element, manually placing a half-nut against said element in threads of the nut feeding the wire along the element for helical winding on the coinpressed material, wliereby after passage of the -nut from theV coils of wire, the material expands to bind andto embed the coils of wire in fixedl spaced relation.

3. A device for winding fine wirevo'n small heating elements and the like having a relativelysoft and yielding surface material, comprising, in combination, means to rotate the element to be wound, a freely movable longitudinal nut-section, the helical threads of which, wlienplacedagainst said member, feed the nut sectionV along the rotating niember, and a vguide on said nut section for carrying the wire thereby to eect helical winding of the element.

A. The method of helical'ly winding a rotating member with a length of material, comprising securing the material to the member, placing the material in a guide secured to a body having a plurality of spaced cutting edges, leading said material between adjacent cutting edges, pressing leo irc

into the material of the member to feed the body axially thereof during rotation, the body having a guiding groove leading to one of the threads remote from the rear end to guide the thread for helical Winding, the threads between said end and groove being smoothed o laringlytoivard the end.

G. A Winding device having, in combinatiom'imeans to rotate aV member to be Wound helically with a fine strand, and a guiding body in the forni of a half nut having its `seixii-cylindrical groove adapted to vfit` over said member, the threads of the nut entering into the mate-rial ofthe member to feed the body axially thereof during the rotation, thebody having a guiding groove leading to `one of said threads to guide the strand for helical winding.

7. A Winding device having, in combina tion, means to rotate a member to be Wound -helically with a fine strand, and a guiding body with a portion thereof in the form of y a half nut having its semi-cylindrical groove i adapted to iit over the member, the threads of the nut cutting into the material of the member to advance the body during the rotation of the member, said body having a guideway to receive and feed the material tol be helically Wound on t-he member.

9 A Winding device having, in combination, means to rotate a niiember to be Wound, and an independent body in the form of a nut section having its arcuate groove adapted to fit over said member, there being a guidefway on said body forthe material being wound, the threads of the nut being adapted to cut into the material of the member during the rotation thereof whereby the body is advanced axially of the member to feed the rotation of the member, and guiding means on said body to receive the material being wound on the member.

1l. A Winding device having, in combination, means to rotate a member to be Wound, a body having a plurality of spaced cutting edges adapted to be pressed onto the rotating member at an angle thereto, and

guiding means on said body for the material being Wound on the member.

l2. A Winding device having, iii combination, means to rotate a member to be Wound, a body having a plurality of spaced cutting edges adapted to be pressed onto the rotating member at an angle thereto, meansl to maintain said body on the member with the cutting edges in fixed angular relation to the rotating member, and guiding means on said body for llie` material being wound on the member. i

13. A winding device having, in combination, means to rotate a member to be wound, a body having a groove therein to tit over said member for guiding the body axially along the member, spaced cutting edges Within said groove at an angle to the rotating member, and guiding means on said body for the material being Wound on thc member.

le. A device for Winding fine Wire on small electrical heating elements and the like having a layer of asbestos or similar yielding material at the surface thereof, comprising, in combination, means for ro` tating the element to be wound, a freely movable body having a groove therein for receiving the element, said body being adapted to be pressed against the yielding surface of said element, and a cutting edge on said body adapted to contact angularly the element to lead the body along the element by rotation thereof, said body having a guideway leading to said groove for the Wire which is to be carried along thereby to Wound upon said member at theJ compressed portion lying in said groove.

l5. A device for Winding small elements With wire comprising, in combination, means to rotate the element to be Wound, and a. longitudinal nut section having threads therein providing edges adapted to bite into a surface of said rotating element to lead the nut along, the threads of said nut being sufficiently large to contain the Wire to be wound on said element in the valleys thereof, whereby the coils of Wire become spaced on the element.

16. A device for Winding rotating elements with a length of material comprising, in combination, means for mounting andy rotating the element to be Wound, a supply of said material independently located for winding onto said rotating element, and a guiding and feeding member independent of said means and said material supply adapted to be pressed against said rotating element, said member having a cutting edge angularly in Contact with said element to feed the same along, and having a guide thereon to carry the material along therewith to Wind the same on the element.

17. A Winding device having, in combination, means to rotate a member to be Wound,

andra body having ay plurality of spaced cutting edges adapted to be pressed against the rotating member with said edges at an angle thereto,the material being wound on the member being adapted to lie between adjacent cutting edges. 4 v

18. A device for windingelectric heating elements with lin-e wire comprising, in combination, a base, a chuck mounted on said base and adapted to receive one end of the-'element'to turn the same, a ltail stock alined with the chuck for supporting the element for rotation, means for effecting rotation, a 'supply of wire carried on the base to be wound on said element during rotation thereof, and a freely movable body having a threaded groove therein to receive the-element, the body being adapted for pressure Contact with the rotating element whereby the threads inl the groove lead the body along the member, and a guiding portion on said body to introduce the wire between the threads thereof, the pitch of the threads being greater thank the thickness of thewire whereby he wire coils become spaced apart.

19. A device for winding an element with spaced coils of material, comprising, in combination, Ameans to mount said element, means to rotate the element, a device adapted to be pressed again-st said rotating` elen'rent having a part angularly in contact therewith to feed the device along the mem-` lVARD E. GUEST.

Certicate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,573,933, granted February 23, 1926, upon the application of W'ard E. Guest, of Chicago, Illinois, for an improvement in Methods and Means for Vinding, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page l, line 22, for the Word location read rotation; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 23d day of March, A. D. 1926.

[SEAL] M. J. MOORE,

Acting Uommz'sszoner of Patents. 

